Loyalty and rewards

U.S. consumers remain unimpressed by mobile wallets and annoyed by EMV, so something has to give at the point of sale. That something could be coupons.

Starbucks' loyalty program will soon reward bonus points based on money spent rather than recognizing individual purchases, a change designed to ease workflow and increase participation rather than dilute benefits, company executives said Monday morning.

There is a different feel to the troubles American Express faces today, mainly because its lost Costco relationship represented what might be one of the last of its kind — a deal in which a large retailer gives exclusivity to a certain card brand and tells customers how to pay.

ExxonMobil has expanded the rewards program on its store-branded credit cards, to provide a larger discount on fuel sales.

Consumers may not care much about mobile payments, but many of them care a lot about mobile loyalty.

It may seem tough for a system that limits itself to one retailer per vertical to expand, but Plenti is making it happen.

As Square and PayPal push business financing, American Express is adding extra funding options to give businesses a lifeline when spending needs a spike.

Moscow-based startup Cardberry is planning to launch an app and device to streamline discount and loyalty cards.

The concept of a multi-merchant rewards program appeals to cardholders, but the widely advertised Plenti program managed through American Express has not yet reached its potential, according to new data from Auriemma Consulting Group.

The Internet of Things is ready to take off in modern retail in the coming year, spurred by a growing connection to consumer payments.